Connection take Pro league lead

Suriname international Dimitrie Apai bagged a double by netting on either side of the break, only separated by teammate Jamal Charles’ first half strike, before setting up Connection’s final item scored by Neil Benjamin Jr.

Connection, on 34 points and four games left, moved to the top of the standings for the first time this season while celebrating a fourth consecutive win.

However the taste at the top for coach Stuart Charles Fevrier’s men may have been temporary with Central (32 points), who have led the table all of this season, coming up against fifth-positioned Ma Pau Stars yesterday at the Larry Gomes Stadium. The Couva Sharks, also with a rescheduled game in hand against Defence Force, are hoping to make history by becoming the first team to lift a third successive Pro League crown.

But with former champions Connection determined to put their hands on the title later this month, an exciting race to the end is on the forecast.

Electrifying was Apai on Friday, the Surinamese forward put Connection 1-0 ahead 20 seconds into play after catching Defence Force cold. Apai controlled an intelligent Kevon Goddard pass with one foot and with the other foot quickly fired low past goalkeeper Andre Marchan.

Grenada international Charles, coming off a last week’s hat-trick against Club Sando, handed Connection a 2-0 cushion in the 33rd minute which lasted into the break.

Apai, though, wasn’t done. The diminutive attacker completed a wonderful team move to make it 3-0 four minutes into the second half with his eighth league goal this term—six of them coming in his last four appearances.

Apai then turned provider just before the hour mark when he slipped a pass into the left of the area and Benjamin made it 4-0 with a brilliant left-footed strike past Marchan.

Defence Force, fourth on the standings with 19 points, finally found a consolation item through defender Jamali Garcia, who headed in a Devorn Jorsling corner for a 4-1 finish. Jorsling, who leads the league scorers’ list this season with nine goals, saw his first-half free kick pushed behind by Connection goalie Julani Archibald and eight minutes from time he was denied by the crossbar.

Defence Force’s miserable night was compounded in stoppage-time when referee Joel Cox issued ‘keeper Marchan a direct red card for a high boot challenge on Andre Toussaint some forty yards away from the goalmouth. An ugly end for this season’s First Citizens Cup champions who entered play on a six-game winning streak in all competitions.

In the earlier game of the Hasely Crawford Stadium double-header, Trinidad and Tobago Under-20 forward Nion Lammy rescued cellar- placed Point Fortin Civic to a 1-1 draw with St. Ann’s Rangers.

Rangers had led through midfielder Jameel Antoine who redeemed himself after squandering a excellent first half opportunity by volleyed past Civic custodian Miles Goodman off a substitute Kathon St Hillare’s right side cross in the 58th minute.

But Lammy struck in the 75th minute when he directed substitute Jeremiah Kesar’s cross past goalkeeper Cleon John to level the score. It was only the third point for Civic this season, who remain anchored at the bottom, while seventh- placed Rangers join Police FC on 16 points.

Police, sixth on the table, travelled to third-positioned Jabloteh (23 points) yesterday in the second game of a double-header at Barataria Recreation Ground with tailenders Morvant Caledonia United and Club Sando in the first game.